Extra second home council tax to be refunded...

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Warwick District Council has been charging double council tax on second homes that are "substantially furnished but have no resident"



A council is refunding the extra council tax it has charged for second homes, having failed to implement a new policy properly.

Warwick District Council has been charging double council tax on second homes that are "substantially furnished but have no resident" since April 2025.

However, questions raised by a member of the public alerted the authority to potential flaws around how the decision to do so was taken, and it was concluded it had "acted outside the law".

The initial decision to charge a premium was taken by full council in February 2023 but the level of extra charge was not specified at that point.

The cabinet — the panel of Green and Labour councillors in charge of major service areas — agreed to move forward with the double rate in February 2025.

But having obtained legal advice, the council has concluded "there is no clear evidence that cabinet considered" factors laid out by the government in November 2024 when it was in the middle of pulling together its policy.

These factors state councils should look at the volume of long-term empty homes in their area, circumstances that may preclude certain homes being used as main residences, and the potential impacts on the local economy and local services before utilising the new powers.

It was also pointed out the double rate had not been voted on by full council.

All of that led the council's monitoring officer Graham Leach — its most senior legal official — to the view "the council did not meet all its obligations".

At a meeting of councillors on Wednesday chair Councillor Naveen Tangri said the council had "acted outside the law" and that "immediate action needs to be taken to remedy this situation".

A series of votes were held, which saw the council stop the policy for now but immediately restart the process from scratch.

A consultation on the issue will be considered by the cabinet in February 2026, with a policy due to kick back in from 1 April 2027.

The report estimates restarting the process will cost Warwick District Council £45,000 per year and warned that the extra workload created could require additional staffing.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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Double council tax for second homes plan approved



The owners of second homes in the Warwick District Council area are to pay twice the amount of council tax from 2027.

Councillors approved the proposal, as a way of encouraging property owners to either sell or lease the houses out for rent.

The government allowed local authorities to impose the additional charge in 2023, but it is the first time it has been imposed on properties in the Warwick District.

Councillors voted to introduce the charge, but only from April 2027, so that owners of second homes have a chance to bring them back into use.

The move to introduce the charge for empty second homes was approved by Warwick District councillors during a meeting of the full council on 25 March.

The definition of a second home is one that is 'substantially furnished but has no resident occupier'.

The authority suggests around 2000 houses would fall under the category of second homes, but as of October 2025, 306 would be eligible for the double payment.

A consultation on the proposal carried out between December 2025 and January 2026 saw more than 500 people respond, with 65% backing the charge.

Councillor Jonathan Chilvers from the Green Party is the portfolio holder for resources.

He said: "We know how important it is for residents to be able to access affordable homes in the communities where they live and work.

"Introducing a second homes premium is one of the tools available to us to help bring more properties back into full-time use, helping to support local businesses and services."